Home isn't where the house is
by tessannejansen
Summary: Everyone is scared when Voldemort grabs the power for the first time. People are afraid for themselves and their friends and family. It's hard to trust new people. The hate between Gryffindors and Slytherins is stronger than ever. This is the story of Ezra O'Neill, a half-blood sorted in Hufflepuff. We follow him and his friends during his fifth and sixth year at Hogwarts.
1. prologue

Ezra had heard a lot about the sorting ceremony. Before he boarded the train, his mother had told him not to worry about the sorting ceremony. She had told him that one of the teachers would place an old hat on his head that would sort him in his house. He had believed her, until he met some other first years. He shared a compartment with a few of them. They, some of them with older siblings, had heard stories about hard tests they had to fulfil before they could be sorted in their house. To Ezra, this sounded much more logical than the story of his mother.

Audrey was searching for a place to sit when a door behind her opened.

"Hey," a boy her age called after her. She turned around and saw him. It was the blonde boy she had met in Diagon Alley. Ezra, she thought the boy was called.

"Hey," Audrey replied to the shyly smiling boy.

"Why don't you sit with us, if you haven't found a place to sit yet?" he asked.

Audrey shook her head, to say she didn't find a place yet. She followed Ezra, with a weird feeling in her stomach. Together they entered the compartment.

"Guys, this is..." Ezra said to the others in the compartment. "Audrey was your name, right?" he asked the girl with red hair and grey eyes, before finishing his sentence. When she nodded smiling he finished his sentence. "So, this is Audrey. Audrey, the twins here are called Jason and Adrian, but I don't really know which one is who, to be honest. The other girl is Lisa."

They talked the whole journey, talking about how they had grown up and how they expected Hogwarts to be. When the first years arrived at the castle they all were nervous. Ezra had grown to believe the stories of the hard sorting tests, rather than believing his mother. They all watched dreamingly at the castle when they first saw it.

A strict looking woman waited for the first years to enter the entrance hall. Her green robes, small glasses and her dark hair tied back in a knot made her look even stricter.

"Welcome at Hogwarts," she said to the nervous first years. "Please form a line before you follow me to the Great Hall for the sorting ceremony. My name is professor McGonagall and I am your transfigurations teacher. I also am the head of the Gryffindor house and I will perform the sorting ceremony."

Professor McGonagall walked into the Great Hall. The first years quickly formed a row and followed her.

She took the sorting hat and a stool and turned to face the first years.

"When I call your name you walk forwards and place this hat on your head. The hat will sort you in one of the four houses. Gryffindor is for the bravest under us. Hufflepuff is for those hard working and loyal students. Ravenclaw for the wisest and Slytherin for the most ambitious and cunning students.

Well, the first one to be sorted is...

Avalon, Audrey," Professor McGonagall said.

Audrey walked forward. She wished she wouldn't have been the first, but she was happy to finally know which house she will be in. She placed the hat on her head, and waited.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat called.

Audrey smiled, before handing the hat back to professor McGonagall and walking to the loud clapping table.

The sorting ceremony continued.

'Baidar, Thomas,' was the first Ravenclaw and 'Ericson, Jamie,' became the first Gryffindor.

Professor McGonagall then called 'Hathaway, Sky."

A girl with raven black hair and a pale skin walked forward. She acted arrogant and confident, but if you took a closer look, she was just as afraid as all the others.

Sky putted the sorting hat on her head. She had a feeling that she would be in Slytherin, like a big part of her family, though she wasn't a hundred percent sure if she was happy with that.

A few seconds after she had putted the sorting hat on her head, the hat had made its decision.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat yelled.

She quickly made her way to the Slytherin table, ready to watch the others being sorted.

Ezra felt his nerves slowly disappear. He watched with some extra interest how Lisa Kenall, one of the persons he sat with in the train, was being sorted in Hufflepuff. Finally it was Ezra's turn. He walked forwards, sat down and placed the hat on his head.

He heard a small voice in his head.

 _"Your family is a really divers family. All houses are representing in your family. I can see that mixture of qualities in you. You are wise and clever, brave and daring, ambitious and cunning, but most of all are you loyal and hard working. Therefore, I think you will feel your home in HUFFLEPUFF!"_

The hat yelled the last word out loud and Ezra walked towards the Hufflepuff table, taking a seat next to Audrey and Lisa.

The twins, Jason and Adrian, were the last to be sorted. They both were too sorted in Hufflepuff. The boys joined Ezra and the girls and the five of them talked for the rest of the night, obviously friends at first sight.


	2. Chapter 1

Ezra had heard a lot about the sorting ceremony. Before he boarded the train, his mother had told him not to worry about the sorting ceremony. She had told him that one of the teachers would place an old hat on his head that would sort him in his house. He had believed her, until he met some other first years. He shared a compartment with a few of them. They, some of them with older siblings, had heard stories about hard tests they had to fulfil before they could be sorted in their house. To Ezra, this sounded much more logical than the story of his mother.

Audrey was searching for a place to sit when a door behind her opened.

"Hey," a boy her age called after her. She turned around and saw him. It was the blonde boy she had met in Diagon Alley. Ezra, she thought the boy was called.

"Hey," Audrey replied to the shyly smiling boy.

"Why don't you sit with us, if you haven't found a place to sit yet?" he asked.

Audrey shook her head, to say she didn't find a place yet. She followed Ezra, with a weird feeling in her stomach. Together they entered the compartment.

"Guys, this is..." Ezra said to the others in the compartment. "Audrey was your name, right?" he asked the girl with red hair and grey eyes, before finishing his sentence. When she nodded smiling he finished his sentence. "So, this is Audrey. Audrey, the twins here are called Jason and Adrian, but I don't really know which one is who, to be honest. The other girl is Lisa."

They talked the whole journey, talking about how they had grown up and how they expected Hogwarts to be. When the first years arrived at the castle they all were nervous. Ezra had grown to believe the stories of the hard sorting tests, rather than believing his mother. They all watched dreamingly at the castle when they first saw it.

A strict looking woman waited for the first years to enter the entrance hall. Her green robes, small glasses and her dark hair tied back in a knot made her look even stricter.

"Welcome at Hogwarts," she said to the nervous first years. "Please form a line before you follow me to the Great Hall for the sorting ceremony. My name is professor McGonagall and I am your transfigurations teacher. I also am the head of the Gryffindor house and I will perform the sorting ceremony."

Professor McGonagall walked into the Great Hall. The first years quickly formed a row and followed her.

She took the sorting hat and a stool and turned to face the first years.

"When I call your name you walk forwards and place this hat on your head. The hat will sort you in one of the four houses. Gryffindor is for the bravest under us. Hufflepuff is for those hard working and loyal students. Ravenclaw for the wisest and Slytherin for the most ambitious and cunning students.

Well, the first one to be sorted is...

Avalon, Audrey," Professor McGonagall said.

Audrey walked forward. She wished she wouldn't have been the first, but she was happy to finally know which house she will be in. She placed the hat on her head, and waited.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" the hat called.

Audrey smiled, before handing the hat back to professor McGonagall and walking to the loud clapping table.

The sorting ceremony continued.

'Baidar, Thomas,' was the first Ravenclaw and 'Ericson, Jamie,' became the first Gryffindor.

Professor McGonagall then called 'Hathaway, Sky."

A girl with raven black hair and a pale skin walked forward. She acted arrogant and confident, but if you took a closer look, she was just as afraid as all the others.

Sky putted the sorting hat on her head. She had a feeling that she would be in Slytherin, like a big part of her family, though she wasn't a hundred percent sure if she was happy with that.

A few seconds after she had putted the sorting hat on her head, the hat had made its decision.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat yelled.

She quickly made her way to the Slytherin table, ready to watch the others being sorted.

Ezra felt his nerves slowly disappear. He watched with some extra interest how Lisa Kenall, one of the persons he sat with in the train, was being sorted in Hufflepuff. Finally it was Ezra's turn. He walked forwards, sat down and placed the hat on his head.

He heard a small voice in his head.

 _"Your family is a really divers family. All houses are representing in your family. I can see that mixture of qualities in you. You are wise and clever, brave and daring, ambitious and cunning, but most of all are you loyal and hard working. Therefore, I think you will feel your home in HUFFLEPUFF!"_

The hat yelled the last word out loud and Ezra walked towards the Hufflepuff table, taking a seat next to Audrey and Lisa.

The twins, Jason and Adrian, were the last to be sorted. They both were too sorted in Hufflepuff. The boys joined Ezra and the girls and the five of them talked for the rest of the night, obviously friends at first sight.


End file.
